Sustainable Websites – Environmental Standards

One of my major passions is educating people about the topic of sustainable web design, and I don’t just mean people in the digital world – anyone who will listen!

Every call I get on with a potential client, I tell them that there’s a better way that they could be building their website, and proceed to bang on about all the things you can do to help build a low-carbon website.

I caught this bug from James Cannings who runs BIMA’s Net Zero programme, which I have now done twice! (The second time to do it alongside my whole team).

I now have the pleasure of being on BIMA’s Sustainability Council alongside him, where we are working to achieve some incredible things.

Our Open Letter to the Government

We believe that the government are not doing enough to encourage businesses to help the environment. Yes, they are now publicly talking about climate change and taking positive action in some areas, but real impact isn’t being made.

Businesses are just greenwashing for positive PR or to hit their CSR/ESG goals and real change isn’t actually being implemented.

If you’d also like to see the government make some small changes that could have major impacts, then please read our open letter and sign it to help us deliver this message.

Environmental Standards for Sustainable Web Design

One of my favourite things I’m doing with the council at the moment is help create some environmental standards that websites will have to adhere to, if they want to be considered as practicing sustainable web design.

Just like the W3C’s Accessibility Standards that we have been adhering to for years, we are putting together a set of open standards that will be the go-to benchmark for sustainable web design.

I cannot tell you how incredible this project is, as it could have such a major impact on the digital world.

I’m working alongside some of the best people in the industry for this topic too, which is such an honour.

I also hosted a panel discussion with some of these bright minds not so long ago, which you should definitely check out below: